Novice considering tackling chunkier pieces...advice please

[Sheptonphil]

After rounding it'll be interesting to see whether the Axminster 100mm clubman chuck and 'mega jaws' can hold the full weight with my augur bit in Jacobs chuck in tailstock. Failing that boring will be in drill press (not bought long hole kit yet..I should!)

Thanks again everyone for the support and advice .. should be a fun Sunday morning project!

cheers
Keith

Hi Keith

Not sure where in Somerset you are, but if you are around week new beween Christmas and new year, and are in the Shepton Mallet area, you are welcome to come have a play and learn a few of the basics to get you on the righ path.

Phil

 

[Keithie]

Thanks. I'm originally from Bridgwater but more to Minehead these days ...big county, Somerset! I'll probably start going to one of the woodturners groups at some stage next year ...probably more likely we'll meet there than me happening to be over your way tbh ..but you never know !
cheers
Keith

 

[Keithie]

hmm..so it turns out that green & knotty Western Red Cedar probably hasnt been the first choice for elite cabinet makers over the centuries, or possibly even the average woodturner! Who knew ! ...lol ...probably a lot of folk!

Turns out that the almost microscopic split in my oversize cotton bobbin decided, overnight, to turn into a crevasse that could hide a bear. This resulted in the piece being of as much value as what said bear might typically do in the wood.

Despite coating the ends of the other pieces in some pretty good 6 year gtee ICI weatherproofing paint, two of them developed significant shakes. 9 left of which I'm working on what lookslike theleast knotty. I guess if I chase the knots into the wood as far as they go I'm going to need a pen turning mandrel, so my dreams of an elegant lamp maybe be refined to something functional (at best).

Is there something equivalent to 'Anchorseal' in the UK?

At this rate without wooden wind chimes or a nice lamp, I may even have to spend money on buying rather than making wifey a Christmas pressie!

 

[Keithie]

some better progress made ...just final shaping &finer cuts then sanding, oil and wax...might even finish tonight!

 

[Paul Hannaby]

Smaller pieces are usually rotated at higher speeds and the centrifugal forces just project the smaller lighter item at higher velocity.
.

Chas, I would disagree with the last part of the above statement.
If the smaller piece is being turned at the "correct" speed, the projectile would be travelling at the same speed as a large piece which was also being turned at the "correct" speed because the rpm is set to achieve the optimum peripheral speed in relation to the diameter. i.e, a 4" diameter piece being turned at 1500rpm has the same peripheral speed as a 20" piece being turned at 300 rpm. A piece of wood leaving either under those conditions would travel at the same speed. The significant difference between the two is the mass and the kinetic energy resulting from it.

 

[CHJ]

Stand corrected Paul, my mistake was thinking about the relative G forces at the periphery providing the energy and used the wrong term.

 

[Keithie]

hmm...well, many lessons learned ...and no doubt many more to come over time. As finished as its going to be ...not worthy of even a short piece of electrical cable ..never mind a lamp fitting. The good news is that the augered hole stayed put and a straight 8mm rod still passes through. Pretty or elegant it is not imo. Nor is it well finished!

Two issues I couldnt figure out where I'd appreciate some advice :

1. When transitioning at a shallow angle across endgrain in softwoods (ie almost along the grain but slow going across it), is there a technique (other than slow & careful) to minimise end grain shredding

2. When parting a piece with an augur hollow through it, are there any tips for when to stop the lathe and finish the parting by handsawing? I stopped just after I got to with outer width of thecentres andthought I might have detected a slight change in tone ...but it might have been my imagination!

cheers
Keith

 

[CHJ]

1. When transitioning at a shallow angle across endgrain in softwoods (ie almost along the grain but slow going across it), is there a technique (other than slow & careful) to minimise end grain shredding

Far easier to show than explain but this is my shot that may make sense, sharp tool and make sure you roll the tool to maintain bevel contact, at times you need to reverse roll the tool out of the cut as you go to remove the long grain material ahead of the cutting front. Also dependant on form you need to remove material by approaching from both directions when forming a thinner spindle as you if you were forming a cove.

2. When parting a piece with an augur hollow through it, are there any tips for when to stop the lathe and finish the parting by handsawing? I stopped just after I got to with outer width of thecentres andthought I might have detected a slight change in tone ...but it might have been my imagination!

The humorous would say you should have stopped just before the disaster of things flying around uncontained occurred.

There's no definitive answer, it's all dependant on task, wood type, method of mounting.
Only safe answer is if you have doubts then stop and use fine saw.
Turning time and associated experience will provide the feeling and ability to detect the subtle variations in sound and piece balance that warn of impending problems needing appropriate treatment.